Combined billiard-table



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s. A. PARIBAULT. COMBINED BILLIARD TABLE, BOOKGASE, AND DESK.

No. 513,314. Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

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V S. A. FARIBAULT. COMBINED BILLIAR'D TABLE, BOOKGASE, AND DESK.

No. 513,314. Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STERNE A. FARIBAULT, OF ELSDON, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED BILLIARD-TABLE, BOOKCASELAND DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,314, dated January 23, 1894.

Application filed June 8, 1893- Serial No. 476,973- (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STERNE A. FARIBAULT, of Elsdon, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Combined Billiard-Table, Bookcase, and Desk, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in billiard-tables, desks, and bookcases; and the object of my invention is to produce an extremely cheap, simple, convenient, and durable article, which has the combined functions of the three things named, and which may be'readily converted from one to the other.

A further object of myinvention is to provide a simple and easily operated means for leveling the billiard-table, and also to construct the table so that when it is in an upright position to form a bookcase its supports may be placed outof the way'and practically out of sight.

To these ends myinv'ention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus embodying my invention, showing it in position to serve as a bookcase and desk. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a broken longitudinal section of the apparatus when converted into a billiard table. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on the line 44 in Fig. 5, showing the mechanism for adjusting the billiard-table in elevation. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view.

The apparatus is provided with a base 10, like that of an ordinary desk, and in this are the usual sliding drawers 11 which are arranged at opposite ends in the customary manner. On the back of the base 10 and at the top is hinged the bookcase 12, which is of the general shape of an ordinary bookcase and which is adapted to swing into a horizontal position so that its back will form a billiard-table, as hereinafter described. The sides of the bookcase clasp the desk so that at 15, (Figs. 3 and 6,) the hinge being carried on the upper end of a vertically adjustable and swiveled bolt 16 which turns in a suitable threaded bearing 17 in theusual way, and the head 18 of the bolt extends downward opposite a slot 19 in the back of the base 10, in which slot the fingers may be inserted to turn the bolt, and in this way the bolt and also the bookcase may be adjusted vertically when the bookcase is turned down to form a table, as shown in Fig. 3. The bookcase has a lower shelf 20 which is hinged at its rear edge so that it may be tipped upward against the back of the bookcase and thus lie flat upon the top of the base or desk 10 when the bookcase or table is in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3. The bookcase, below the swinging shelf 20, may be provided with any usual form of detachable pigeon-hole case, drawers, &c., or may be divided in any desired way. The lower end of the bookcase and table is provided with a heavy cross piece 22, preferably of metal, and which enables the bookcase and table to be easily tilted. The lower end 23 of the book case is hinged, at its inner edge, as shown at 24., and when the bookcase is tipped into a vertical position, the said part or leaf 23 is turned up against the back of the bookcase and lies in the recess 25 in the back of the base or case 10. On the inner sides and upper portion of the bookcase are hinged legs 26 which, when the bookcase is in a vertical position, lie within the bookcase, but when the case is tipped into ahorizontal position to form a table, the legs swing outward and downward, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to hang vertically and support one end of the table. The legs are provided with laterally extending pins 27 at their upper ends, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which pins slide and turn in slots 28 in the walls of the bookcase, and this arrangement provides for the leveling of the table. The slot 28 is preferably protected by a wear plate 29, see Fig. 4, and parallel with the slotis a connecting rod 30, one end of which terminates in a curved head 31 which fits against the adjacent pin 27 and serves as a bearing for the same, while the inner end of the rod 30 has a laterally extending lug 32 which moves in the spiral grooves 33 formed on one face of a gear 34, which is secured to a shaft 35 turnmg 1n a bearing or bracket 36 on the outer wall of the bookcase, and the shaft 35 is provided with a crank 37 by which it and the gear may be turned. The gears 34 are hung in recesses in the walls of the bookcase, and it will be seen that when the legs 26 are in the position shown in Fig. 3, the gears may be turned and the legs raised or lowered, so as to bring the table to the proper level. The

legs 26 are braced and held in a vertical position by the swinging braces 38, which are pivoted to blocks 38 in the bookcase beneath the legs 26 and which are adapted to hang vertically when the bookcase is in a vertical position, but which, when the case is converted into a table, may be swung outward and downward so as to abut with shoulders 39 on the legs and thus brace the same. The braces 38 have pins 40 on their outer sides, which are adapted to engage notches 40, see Fig. 3, in the latches 41, these latches being pivoted to the legs 26 and adapted to couple the legs and braces together. On the braces are slide plates 42 which are pressed, by springs 43 lyingin notches 44in the braces, into engagement with shoulders 45 on the latches 41, and the slide plates lock the latches on one side, while the pins 40 lock them on the other, and thus a firm connection is' made be tween the legs and braces.

The form of fastening devices illustrated is well adapted for the purposes described,but it will be understood that other suitable fastenings may be used to fasten the legs and braces together. The table may be also looked in a horizontal position by the thumb screws 46 which project through the slots 47 in the sides of the case or desk 10 and which may be screwed into the sides of the case or into suitable sockets prepared to receive the screws. The back side of the case is made perfectly smooth, as shown at 48, so that it may serve as a billiard-table, and it may be covered in the usual way.

It will be observed that when the bookcase is in an erect position, it may be used as an ordinary bookcase, while the base or desk 10 may also be used in the customary way, and by simply tipping the case downward and leveling it in the manner described, a table is formed which may be used as an ordinary billiard table.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the desk or base,

of a book-case hinged to the top of thelatter, and having slots in its sides, legs pivoted to the book-case, pivot pins projecting laterally from the legs into said slots, rods, 30, which serve as bearings for the pins, and means for adjusting the rods lengthwise parallel with the slots, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the oivoted braces 38, having lateral pins 40, latches 41, having notches to receive said pins, slide plates 42 for locking said latches and springs 43, with the pivoted legs 26, which are adjustable lengthwise the swinging book-case and the desk to which it is hinged, as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the desk or base and the swinging part having abilliard table on its back, of the vertically adjustable screw rod 16, a fixed nut 17, attached to the desk,

and a hinge connecting the rod with the swinging part, as shown and described.

4. Thecombination,withthe swingingbookcase and table, of the legs held in the case and provided with laterally extending pins, revoluble gears journaled in the case and provided with spiral grooves, and connecting rods having lugs to run in the grooves of thegears and heads to form bearings for the leg pins, substantially as described.

STERNE A. FARIBAULT.

WVitnesses:

C. 0. FORD, O. REYNOLDS. 

